Former firefighter James Lopresti, who retired in November 2018, saved $124,006 toward a pension over 23 years working for fire departments, Firemen's Annuity and Benefit Fund of Chicago records show.

Over 30 years of retirement, Lopresti would collect as much as $2.71 million, according to a projection by Local Government Information Services (LGIS), which publishes Sangamon Sun.

The projection assumes Lopresti received $56,980 in the first year of retirement, then 3 percent annual increases thereafter, compounded.

After 3 years of retirement, Lopresti will have already received $176,119 in retirement benefits, or more than the sum total of the retiree's contributions to the state pension fund.